Shifted

Chapter 27: The Beginning of the End

My body trembled as I realized the power I truly was capable of. I was sure that my aura would be able to stop a man in his tracks, but I wasn't sure if I was prepared for the toll it would take on me.

Of one thing I was sure, if I did this, everything would change. For better or worse, I didn't know. But I did know that this was my way of taking control of my life and taking control away from Declan.

Standing up now, I put all of my focus on my aura as I willed it to surround me in palpable indignation. It burned red against my skin, prickling as it itched to get nearer to Declan. I wiped the tears from my eyes as he was fitting the key into the lock.

In a rush of passion and grief, I pushed my angry aura out to Declan. As soon as its glow pressed onto his skin, he twisted in pain.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, reeling around to face me.

There was the sound of a scuffle in the back of the room, but all I could think about now was making Declan hurt as much as I was hurting. The pain of loss was already unimaginable, burning and blistering my skin without leaving a mark. I imagined his pain malevolently as he began to actually writhe, cringing uncontrollably as my aura enclosed him in agony. Somehow, he managed to keep his hand on the key.

My mom began to wince in pain behind me, presumably from my aura. Reluctantly, I released her hand from mine and she immediately sunk back into her chair.

Remarkably, my aura began to detach from me as it surrounded Declan. I was surprised though when his body fell to the floor on its own accord, my aura still pricking at his suddenly still body. I fell to my knees as the dynamics in the room shifted in an instant.

The Gardai rushed to Declan, kneeling beside him to check his breathing. As soon as they were free, my sisters ran to Eleanor, shoving Finn out of the way. He joined Maeve as she stepped forward to the key still sitting unturned in the lock. Dillon softly placed Irie's head down on the chair and kissed her cheek.

Blood rushed loudly in my ears as I tried to comprehend the movement around me. Dillon was at my side now and slid his arm around my waist, lifting me off the floor.

"Briony, you have to get to Eleanor. Quickly!" he shouted, but I could barely hear his voice. It was as if I was watching the scene in slow motion, Dillon's voice sounding far away. He pulled me forward and I felt as though I were swimming through water.

When he placed me in front of Eleanor's pale body, everything snapped back into real-time. Her beautiful, normally olive-toned skin was white as a sheet and her fingertips were cold. Quickly, I put my ear to her chest and felt very shallow breaths shuddering from her body. I grabbed her hand, holding it firmly in mine, just as I'd done with Irie. Everyone watched Eleanor expectantly, but there was no change.

"Sit her up, hurry! Sit her up!" I yelled. Dillon and Charlotte picked up her body, leaning her against themselves.

Kit and Dad came stumbling through the door and all eyes fell on them as they looked around the room. They hurried over to us, tears already falling from Dad's eyes at the sight of his daughter nearly dead.

"What can I do?" he cried helplessly. Kit put a hand on his shoulder, grounding him in the moment.

"You can trust your daughter, mate," Kit answered, nodding to me.

The ache and fear in my father's eyes was something I'd never truly seen before, and honestly, it frightened me.

"Best you walk away for a moment, might be a good time for you to say goodbye," Kit told him, nodding at Irie. Brody nodded grimly and walked to the first woman he truly loved.